“CAUTIOUSLY, I KNOCKED THE MAGNIFICIENT WOODEN
AND WROUGHT IRON GATE RISING IN FRONT OF ME”.
Almost in unison, the bells of the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción church struck two o’clock. The delicious scent of the many stews cooked every day at this time in the homes of Almodóvar del Campo was in the air.
Only for that, it had been worth booking the charming Rural Hotel Sisapo.
Would these culinary pleasures be those which also attracted Cervantes and made him visit this enchanting village in La Mancha so many times?
Even through the heavy oak wood separating me from the interior of this charming hotel in Almodóvar del Campo, I was able to perceive the rhythm of steps coming towards me to open the gate: such was the serenity of this place at this warm time of the day.
THE GATE CREAKED.
I have never been in favour of ostentation.
I prefer minimalist spaces where each thing, each stone, each slab is, for any reason, where it has to be.
THAT’S WHY I CHOSE HOTEL SISAPO!
They asked me while I was contemplating the coloured roofs of the houses in Almodóvar del Campo from the beautiful great Courtyard of Columns. `The Lucky Stone? No, I…´
`The legend tells that all the visitors who touch it at the end of their stay are guaranteed success and luck, as well as coming back in the future! So don’t forget…´ `Really? No, I won’t.´
The couple glided through the geometric motifs of the ceramic tiles. I had read that mosaics were one of the main icons of the Roman archaeological site also named Sisapo. However, I hadn’t realised that the houses in this little village also gleamed with well-preserved ceramics.
I could only nod and smile…
THE GEOMENTRY OF THOSE TILES SEEMED TO HAVE CAPTIVATED ME…
`This is the best time to take a breath´, he told me smiling.
I took the Spanish novel Don Quixote de La Mancha and I started reading.
I didn’t really know what made me linger in this yard, admiring all its details:
its white walls, the slim marble columns, the relaxing sound of the water falling, the sunlight reflected in the windows…
How did they know it is my favourite number?
`Don’t worry about your luggage. We’ll carry it to your room immediately.’
I just searched `Accommodation in Ciudad Real – La Mancha´/ ‘Rural Hotel in Valle de Alcudia’ and, as soon as I saw the pictures, I thought to myself: don’t look further; this is exactly what I want…
Over time, I have learnt to trust my intuition.
